Since stage 3 is advancing now, it would probably be a good idea to list the various places the existing 'experience' could be POSITIVELY improved. This might then serve as both a guide and a component of test checklists as the new forum is "architected" and coded.
I'll start with a couple. Presumption is that all the sites will use common templates and the weird differences in site behavior will disappear as a result.
Repair access to setting personal information (including setting avatars if those are retained; is the 'gravatar' system still alive?). This includes ability from mobile devices. (The existing code that receives uploaded images and resizes/changes resolution worked well every time I used it and could probably be kept as a module or pattern if the new architecture permits...)
Repair access to the PM system, including ability from mobile devices.
Resolve the conflict between Firefox v.61+ and the security issues blanking access to text entry in PMs when using Firefox or the browsers built on the Mozilla engines.
Stop whatever it is that frequently reloads the site and blanks text entry on phones. Sometimes this happens several times an hour.
Get rid of any 'attack' pop up ads that spontaneously open and cover the minimal text-entry window. And if there is a way to enable resizing the text box on a phone... please document it.
Speaking of documentation -- each site has its own weird tools and formatting conventions. It would be nice to consolidate them all as options in the toolbars and menus with some online pages or help system that tells how to run them.
Resolve the issue with the 'insert image' tool now that inline hotlinking has become a 'power user' evil theft of intellectual property and bandwidth. Since there is evidently code that blanks display of some of these images, indicate to someone trying to paste such an image that it cannot be displayed.
Fix the issue with global thread display preference that will not allow first-to-last display of a thread so long as last-to-first is the global setting (as on the Trains Magazine forums);
Fix the issue with global thread display preference that ignores a global last-to-first setting entirely (as on the Modrl Railroader forum)
Recover access to all 'former' handles no longer in use, and make them available for new accounts -- ideally allowing former holders 'first dibs' to get their names back.
Establish, and maintain, a formal notice and grievance procedure for any post complaints, or imposition of moderation actions like mandated moderator review or bans. Give those on mandatory moderation a moderator-controlled access to an editing window for their own posts so they can change or delete offending material or fix typos. Ensure somehow that poor netiquette or TOS violations are properly warned each time before action is taken, and specific reasons are given.
Incidentally, revise the TOS to one coherent, modern version (with or without strict listing of topics to be avoided, such as hobos or graffiti, and with a discussion of current hotlinking that is updated as law and policies change) and then hotlink access to the revised TOS every place stickies or other elements reference 'read our forum policies'.
OK everyone -- let's list positive changes the community might like to see implemented.
How about an active list of the current admins/moderators?
Of course, I always would like larger avatars.
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
A wroking spell check would be nice. Especially in considering that the spell check on private messages wroks fine, it should be pretty simple to implement on the forums.
I could be wrong, but my personal suspicion is that spellchecking is turned off over bandwidth issues. So, if that is correct, then I'd like more bandwidth, too.
Spellcheck? Just asking for that makes me feel...If don't eat your meat, you can't have any pudding. How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat?
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
A console running an on-line version of Train simulator in place of some of the ads would be nice too.
Think about it first.... Make it so the user has to turn off their ad blocker to access the simulator. a-HAAAA!?
Convicted OneA console running an on-line version of Train simulator in place of some of the ads would be nice too.
Eww.
Convicted OneI could be wrong, but my personal suspicion is that spellchecking is turned off over bandwidth issues.
The problem I read about Kalmbach having, years ago when they were still 'banking' on mobile devices taking over this kind of 'connectivity', was that most people using phones and tablets already have typing and spelling correction turned on for text entry, and that might clash with active spellcheck in the forum text-entry window. I think I'd design it like a Word-style checker (that flags potential misspellings via coded color underlines or changed font face, and allows you to click or mouse-over for suggested replacements or Soundex entries) without making its own edits; a back-end tool that reviews and fixes 'all the problems at once' was also a Microshaft option and would involve little bandwidth to provide (as a toolbar option). Ideally this would keep all its 'revisions' highlighted for quick review and editing of wrong suggestions immediately before posting.
Overmod most people using phones and tablets already have typing and spelling correction turned on for text entry, and that might clash with active spellcheck in the forum text-entry window.
This is like the only forum I visit, out of many, that does not have spellcheck. And I'm fairly confident those other sites have a fair share of mobile users. "Auto correct" I can do without. Most of my spelling errors are typos or transposed characters, so just a red squiggly line would be fine with me. Something to flag the error.
Kalmbach needs to stop trying to reinvent the wheel and just buy some wheels that are in production and actually work.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
BaltACD stop trying to reinvent the wheel
LOL, there is one forum where I participate, that if I was going to respond to your post, Murphy's post, and Overmod's post with distinct and separate replies...even if each reply included quoted text from each of you....all three of my replies would be appended together into one post, so long as no other poster posted in between.
And when questioned about the confusion this causes, the host replies "We consider this a feature, not a bug".....
Of course it's not hard to figure out which users are being served by that "feature". The users who chronically have "screen size" issues, of course.
Personally, I'd like to eliminate animated images in Sig lines. Some are cute the first time viewed, but then become a distraction/annoyance seeing them in dozens of posts in dozens of threads thereafter. I am on a satellite internet connection and have a limited number of bytes I can download before my transfer rate drops to useless. At least give me the ability to select not to have them sent to me.
Sorry, I know some like them (especially those that use them) but they are troublesome to some of us (ME in particular!).
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
zugmann Convicted One A console running an on-line version of Train simulator in place of some of the ads would be nice too. Eww.
Convicted One A console running an on-line version of Train simulator in place of some of the ads would be nice too.
Semper VaporoAt least give me the ability to select not to have them sent to me.
... although there are times I wish I could see the whitewater-rafting cat again, or the little people having trouble crossing the chasm...
Semper VaporoI'd like to eliminate animated images in Sig lines
In your browsers settings Settings-> Site Settings-->Content--> Images--->Block... and add the site where the image is hosted from (imgur.com in my case)
Voila!
oh, and another thing...
Either fix the quote-system syntax or provide clear online directions for how to use and edit BBcode to get rid of gibberish and wasted space.
I can't see any reason why mandatory space between paragraphs, which is 'on' by default and not to my knowledge easily overridden by controls (or common-sense editing 'source code') needs to be active when using the 'quote' facility. Neither why nested syntax is used in some of the text the quote feature pasted, syntax that is neither respected nor parsed right when subsequently edited. Neither why emoticon rendering is screwed up -- at the very least, if IT can't figure out recursive parsing in page display, at least edit the gibberish text or the silly placeholders out before quoting!
zugmannEww.
HEY!! I thought that Overmod clearly stated that this thread was for POSITIVE suggestions??
Let's not turn this into a "criticize what others have suggested" thread.
I'd like a "filter out grumpy old men who think it's their prerogative to control how everyone else uses their internet" filter too. But I'm trying to work within the confines of what the OP set forth.
Convicted OneHEY!! I thought that Overmod clearly stated that this thread was for POSITIVE suggestions??
+ Eww
I'm keeping my sniper pony. I earned it, and I'm proud of it!
And then I cannot see any images that are embedded in the posting... so I get to read,
"Here is a photo of the UFO I took yesterday... isn't it interesting!?"
BUT NO PHOTO SHOWS because they stored it in imgur dot com and my system will not access them.
Not only that, but my avatar and many of the button images and other parts of this web page become only placeholders. Thanks! Nothing like using the atomic cannon to swat at a bee!
deleted
York1 John
Incidentally, on modern iOS at least, the feedback for the italic and boldface buttons is fouled up, making it uncertain whether the changes actually toggle when selected. This is supposed to be a clear and modal change between engaged (displayed as button darkened and 'depressed' with a drop-shadow effect) and normal. Since at least iOS 11 this has had a kind of indeterminate state that requires repeated button pushing to resolve.
Incidentally, for mobile devices with pop-up keyboards at least, the most commonly-used toolbair functions should be on the 'bottom row', the opposite of common-sense desktop semantic design. I have to carefully scroll down to get the line and character formatting, whereas I seldom use search or make bulleted or autonumbered lists in postings (and they display and edit wonkily if I do...)
Convicted OneIn your browsers settings Settings-> Site Settings-->Content--> Images--->Block... and add the site where the image is hosted from (imgur.com in my case)
What's needed is simply a way to suppress signatures. If Kalmbach IT can devise a way to block pictures only in signatures, more power to them!
And I agree that ought to be done serverside, and not in a client, to cut required bandwidth.
An interesting thing about animated gifs over the internet, they actually only run once (download) per session when you first view them, ....and thereafter they run from your own machine.
So claiming an animated gif is eating up your connectivity, really isn't all that accurate.
And that was information shared with me by Alex St John, who was Microsoft's Direct-X guru at the time, so he should know.
Want proof? Notice how the images in my signature are all synchronized (from one post to the next). If each image was downloading constantly, just simple hiccups in internet traffic would have them all out of synch
OvermodWhat's needed is simply a way to suppress signatures.
I would support that. Please realize that in the time I've been here, I've had other users complain about my initial use of a Charlie Chaplain behind bars avatar, an animated signature of an opposed piston engine, the static "Death Rails" signature that replaced that, as well as numerous inquiries if I was really "Ricky Gates". And Semper previously went as far as to take issue when I was experimenting with HTML colored back grounds for my posts.
At some point you just decide that continually retreating in deference to the whims of others has reached the limit you are willing to bear.....and THAT is where I am now. YMMV?
zugmann Convicted One HEY!! I thought that Overmod clearly stated that this thread was for POSITIVE suggestions?? + Eww I'm keeping my sniper pony. I earned it, and I'm proud of it!
Convicted One HEY!! I thought that Overmod clearly stated that this thread was for POSITIVE suggestions??
Having written a fair amount of HTML (but by no means an expert), I'm familiar with the tags for some of the common features, like "quote," "img," "url", and italics, bold, etc.
This allows me to format my posts and replies the way I want, including splitting up an original post to reply to specific sections.
Sometimes I'll insert the tags rather than use the formatting buttons.
I've been known to get into the source and make changes in the HTML, too.
I have no idea of what mobile (phone, tablet) users see as I don't use them to access the forum. Perhaps a user on one of those platforms could try adding a simple one as an experiment.
To make a portion of a post bold, put the tag (square bracket [)B(square bracket]) add your text (square bracket [)/B(square bracket ]) in a post to see what happens. Here is an example. Note that I coded this in, I did not use the formatting bar at the top of the post window.
Now about that spel czech...
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
zugmann Convicted One HEY!! I thought that Overmod clearly stated that this thread was for POSITIVE suggestions?? + Eww
Just imagine the bandwidth overhead ON TOP OF what the dancing-ad codes and traps are consuming. And of course 'certain people' at Kalmbach couldn't resist the opportunity to monetize... in-app purchases for more equipment, or better routes, or higher resolution. More targeted advertising for those identified as suckersapp users. Can it be long before it appears in the Android and iOS app stores for 'free' download -- railfanning's answer to Angry Birds?
Convicted One Overmod What's needed is simply a way to suppress signatures. I would support that. Please realize that in the time I've been here, I've had other users complain about my initial use of a Charlie Chaplain behind bars avatar, an animated signature of an opposed piston engine, the static "Death Rails" signature that replaced that, as well as numerous inquiries if I was really "Ricky Gates". And Semper previously went as far as to take issue when I was experimenting with HTML colored back grounds for my posts. At some point you just decide that continually retreating in deference to the whims of others has reached the limit you are willing to bear.....and THAT is where I am now. YMMV?
Overmod What's needed is simply a way to suppress signatures.
Much of the format coding is not HTML tags but BBcode (from the quaintly archaic 'bulletin boards' on the Internet of yore).
There are online references and tutorials for BBcode, and some of these contain useful information for 'unlocking Easter egg features' hidden in the Kalmbach legacy code. But only a certain amount of trial and error will reveal exactly which BBcode tags actually work as intended.
Again, if the 'stage 3' revisions actually retain BBcode in their formatting, Kalmbach owes us a manpage (Unix equivalent of what to find when someone tells you 'RTFM') that covers exactly what magic they use and how to type it yourself.
I submit my whims to your whims.
Your milage exceeds mine.
So long and thanks for all the fish.
Wasn't Chaplin behind bars an early, early meme mocking IBM's ridiculously-overdone early PC marketing?
I say bring back the OP engine. It would go well with the cat. Now we have to convince Balt to edit out that YELLOW! (I can't think of a lowercase equivalent that does that color justice) background in his current picture -- it's actually inducing heart palpitations from repeated exposure!
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.